The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-05-25
ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA, WEDNESDAY, NAY q 1877
A MODEL GRAFTON.

A MODEL GRAFTON.
Patriotic Sentiments Forcibly Expressed
| by the Secretary of the Interior.
| The Grafton by Mr.. Lamar on the
unvailing of the monument to Cal.
houn recently was worthy of the ora.
tor. Mr.. Calhoun is known to most
Americans only as the great champion
OF State sovereignty and teacher OF
the doctrines that led to the war Of
secession. He was much more and
else than that, but his connection with
the cause of the South and his ardent
conviction of the righteousness and ex-
cellence of slavery, sustained for years
In the Senate with unfinching courage
and remarkable ability, made it una
voidable that his eulogist should dwell
upon this feature of his career and
upon the ideas by which that career
was guided. Mr.. Lamar did this with
entire candor and, though with
avowed sympathy with Calhoun, in a
spirit OF, unqualified loyalty to the
Union. There could be no more strik-
ing and conclusive proof of the COM
pleteness of the establishment of the
Union than the manner in which Mr..
Lamar, himself former Secessionist of
the extreme type, disposed of the
causes of secession and of its absolute,
final and perpetual defeat. 1t is enough
to point out that Mr.. Lamar finds that
secession was doomed by the force of
national evolution, by the fact that the
permanent needs and tendencies of the
zone people" that declared it's indie.
pendence of Great Britain in 1875 were
indefinitely stronger than the needs
and tendencies of the South that sought
satisfaction in separation.
The speech of Mr.. Lamar was, there
fore, while a review of most conspic-
uous figure in the past, speech for the
present and the future. Itput aside, in
eulogy of the greatest of State sover-
eighty leaders and before an audience
OF his devoted admirers, the chief aim
OF that leaders, career, the chief of his
avowed principles, as something buried
and the tomb sealed, and turned with
hopeful spirit toward the lesson of the
leaders life for his countrymen to-day.
This Mr.. Lamar found in Calhoua's
fidelity to conscience, in his high
standard of virtue in public life, in his
unselfish patriotism, and particularly
in his conception of the public service
as public trust. He pointed out Mr..
Calhoun's vigorous exposure and
pointed denunciation of the applica-
ton of the spoils system to the Fed
eral service, and with peculiar en-
phasis his scathing criticism of the
plea that the spoils system could be
justly applied by one Administration
in retaliation for its application By a
preceding Administration.
On this point the words Of Calhoun
might well be quoted as bearing di-
rectly upon the situation to-day. He
was replying to Benton, who had
formerly sharply condemned the spoils
principle, and pledged the Admins
tration to resist it: '.The avowal of
such principle may be justified at
this time by interested partisans, but
more impartial tribunal will regard it
in far different light, and pronounce
that sentence which violated faith and
broken pledges deserve. II
consider it as an evidence of that deep
degeneracy which precedes the down
fall OF republic when those elevated |
to power forget the promises on which |
they were elevated, the certain effect |
OF which is to make an impression on |
The public mind that all is Juggling
and trickery in politics, and to create
an Indifference to political struggles
highly favorable to the growth of des-
potic power. After quoting these
words Mr.. Lamar adds: II am proud
20 say, fellow-citizens, that it has been
NY good fortune to be associated with
'ne against whose Administration the
'nly criticism that has been pro-
bounced is his sacred regard for SINH.
ar promises and the uncomfortable
ntrepidity with which he stands by
HEM
It is worth while to point out that
While a member Of Mr. Cleveland's Ad-
thus recognizes the
pledges of that Administration against
he spoils principle and vindicates its
difference to that pledge, it is not
necessary or decent for subordinates in
he Federal service to devote their
ime to officious manipulation of the
patronage" they may be able to con-
rol for the purpose of fixing delega-
ions OF building up machines. y.
tines.
POLITICAL MAYHEMlSM.
K observation-disclosures Hatton Roundlv
NRNH ~ L0- Il